10/13/12

Preconceived ideas will almost always cause problems. In the case of the "Redneck home security system", the outcome is a good thing, as who in their right mind would really want to confront four viscous pit bulls in a locked house. Deception has always been a part of warfare and when I think about trickery, the book of Joshua comes to mind...

Joshua, Chapter 8

1 Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land. 2 You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except its spoil and its livestock, you shall take for a plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

3 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night. 4 He commanded them, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5 I, and all the people who are with me, will approach to the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them. 6 They will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them, 7 and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for Yahweh your God will deliver it into your hand. 8 It shall be, when you have seized on the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to the word of Yahweh. Behold, I have commanded you.”

9 Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night. 10 Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up, and drew near, and came before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. 12 He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. 14 It happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16 All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. 17 There was not a man left in Ai or Beth El who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel.

18 Yahweh said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.”

Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 The ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and entered into the city, and took it. They hurried and set the city on fire. 20 When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and killed the men of Ai. 22 The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. 23 They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua.

24 It happened, when Israel had made an end of killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai, and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26 For Joshua didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey to themselves, according to the word of Yahweh which he commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day. 29 He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening, and at the sundown Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains to this day.

Israel had attached Ai before and had fled before them. In chapter seven the reason for their defeat was shown to be the Sin of Achan in taking spoil contrary to the command of God. So, when Israel attached Ai again, the inhabitants of the city thought to just summarily defeat them as before. Their overconfidence led to brashness in putting too many people on the offensive and not enough to defend the city. They paid a dear price for their mistake... their lives!!! The lesson here is to be wary of your enemy and avoid overconfidence. The spiritual application is to remember that Christians are the target of Satan and he isn't any Redneck. Smooth and sophisticated, he will try to trick you when you least expect it. Be warned, be aware and most of all... be CAREFUL!!!!

Eph 4:1 I therefore,
the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling
with which you were called,

Eph 4:2 with all
lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in
love;

Eph 4:3 being eager to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Eph 4:4 There is one
body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of
your calling;

Eph 4:5 one Lord, one
faith, one baptism,

Eph 4:6 one God and
Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

Eph 4:7 But to each one
of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of
Christ.

Eph 4:8 Therefore he
says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and
gave gifts to men."

Eph 4:9 Now this, "He
ascended," what is it but that he also first descended into the
lower parts of the earth?

Eph 4:10 He who
descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.

Eph 4:11 He gave some
to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
shepherds and teachers;

Eph 4:12 for the
perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up
of the body of Christ;

Eph 4:13 until we all
attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ;

Eph 4:14 that we may no
longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after
the wiles of error;

Eph 4:15 but speaking
truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the
head, Christ;

Eph 4:16 from whom all
the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every
joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each
individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself
in love.

Eph 4:17 This I say
therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the
rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

Eph 4:18 being darkened
in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of
the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their
hearts;

Eph 4:19 who having
become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness
with greediness.

Eph 4:20 But you did
not learn Christ that way;

Eph 4:21 if indeed you
heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:

Eph 4:22 that you put
away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows
corrupt after the lusts of deceit;

Eph 4:23 and that you
be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Eph 4:24 and put on the
new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness
and holiness of truth.

Eph 4:25 Therefore,
putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For
we are members of one another.

"THE EPISTLE OF JAMES"
Chapter ThreeOBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THE CHAPTER
1) To appreciate the power and danger of the tongue
2) To understand the difference between heavenly wisdom, and that which
is earthly, sensual, and demonic
SUMMARY
James begins this chapter with a caution against many becoming
teachers. In view of the stricter judgment that awaits teachers, one
should be sure they possess the maturity and self-control necessary to
control the tongue. James then provides a series of illustrations to
demonstrate the power and danger of the tongue, and how we can easily
be inconsistent in our use of it (1-12).
Perhaps some sought to be teachers so as to appear wise. Yet James
writes that wisdom and understanding are to be shown by one's conduct,
done in meekness. He then defines and contrasts the difference between
two kinds of wisdom. There is wisdom which is earthly that causes
confusion and every evil thing. On the other hand, there is wisdom
which is heavenly that produces the peaceable fruit of righteousness
(13-18).
OUTLINEI. TRUE RELIGION CONTROLS THE TONGUE (1-12)A. A CAUTION AGAINST BECOMING TEACHERS (1-2)
1. Teachers shall receive a stricter judgment
2. Maturity and self-control are required not to stumble in word
B. THE POWER OF THE TONGUE (3-4)
1. Like a bit which controls the horse
2. Like a small rudder which directs the ship
C. THE DANGER OF THE TONGUE (5-6)
1. A little member which boasts great things
2. Like a little fire which kindles a great forest fire
3. Indeed, the tongue can be a fire, a world of iniquity
a. Capable of defiling the whole body
b. Capable of setting on fire the course of nature, being set
on fire by hell
D. THE DIFFICULTY OF TAMING THE TONGUE (7-12)
1. Man can control creatures of land and sea, but not the tongue
2. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison
3. With it we bless God, and then curse man made in His image
a. Thus blessing and cursing proceed from the same mouth
b. Something which should not be so
1) For no spring sends forth both fresh and salt water
2) Neither does a fig tree bear olives, nor a grapevine
bear figs
II. TRUE RELIGION DISPLAYS HEAVENLY WISDOM (13-18)A. THE TRUE DISPLAY OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING (13)
1. To be seen in one's conduct
2. With works done in meekness
B. THE DISPLAY OF EARTHLY WISDOM (14-16)
1. Full of bitter envy, self-seeking, boasting and lying
2. A wisdom not from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic
3. Producing confusion and every evil thing
C. THE DISPLAY OF HEAVENLY WISDOM (17-18)
1. Wisdom from above is first pure, then it is...
a. Peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good
fruits
b. Without partiality and without hypocrisy
2. The fruit of righteousness is produced by peacemakers who sow
in peace
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- True religion controls the tongue (1-12)
- True religion displays heavenly wisdom (13-18)
2) Why does James caution against many becoming teachers? (1)
- Teachers shall receive a stricter judgment
3) What is one indication of maturity and self-control? (2)
- The ability to bridle the tongue
4) What two illustrations does James use to show the power of the
tongue? (3-4)
- Like a bit which controls the horse
- Like a rudder which controls the ship
5) What illustration is used to show the danger of the tongue? (5)
- Like a small fire which kindles a large forest fire
6) How does James describe the tongue? (6-8)
- A fire, a world of iniquity
- Set among our members that it defiles the whole body
- Sets on fire the course of nature, being set on fire by hell
- That which no man can tame
- An unruly evil, full of deadly poison
7) What example does James use to show how the tongue is often misused?
(9-10)
- Blessing God and cursing man who is made in His image
8) What illustrations does James provide to show the incongruity of
such speech? (11-12)
- A spring does not send forth both fresh and salt (bitter) water
- A fig tree does not bear olives, nor a grapevine bear figs
9) How is the wise and understanding person to manifest himself? (13)
- By good conduct done in meekness
10) What characterizes wisdom that does not descend from above? (14)
- Bitter envy and self-seeking, boasting and lying against the truth
11) What is the source of such wisdom? (15)
- It is earthly, sensual, and demonic
12) What exists when there is envy and self-seeking? (16)
- Confusion and every evil thing
13) What are the qualities of wisdom that is from above? (17)
- It is first pure
- Then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy
14) Who produces the fruit of righteousness? (18)
- Peacemakers who sow in peace